Here's How Maryland Compares In New Best States Ranking

Maryland is the 21st best in the country in a new ranking Wednesday that shows how well states are working for the people who live there.

Rather than focus on any one issue, U.S. News & World Report pulled together dozens of measures covering health care, education, the economy, infrastructure, public safety, opportunity and other factors that shape everyday life for its 2026 Best States Rankings.

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To determine the rankings, categories were weighted differently according to a public survey on key priorities. The most critical areas identified were healthcare and education, receiving the highest importance.

These were followed by state economies, infrastructure, and citizen opportunity. Fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and the natural environment were also factored in, with fiscal stability carrying slightly more weight than the latter two.

Where Maryland Shines

Adjacent to the nation's capital, Maryland employs many federal workers and hosts dozens of federal agencies, U.S. News writes. It houses the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin.

Maryland is also home to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, one of the largest military medical centers in the nation.

By the numbers, Maryland covers 12,406 square miles and is home to approximately 6.27 million residents, with Annapolis serving as the state capital. The state's economy generated an estimated $568.1 billion in gross domestic product, and more than half of adults — 51.3% — hold a college degree.

Maryland also ranks among the nation's wealthiest states, with a median household income of $102,905, reflecting its highly educated workforce and proximity to Washington, D.C.

Here's where Maryland ranked in the following categories:

Crime and corrections: No. 33

Education: No. 24

Health care: No. 5

Natural environment: No. 5

Economy: No. 37

Fiscal stability: No. 34

Infrastructure: No. 24

Opportunity: No. 27

The top 10 states in the U.S. News ranking are, respectively, Utah, South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Idaho, Florida, Washington and Vermont.